Time has taught me to pay attention when words, thoughts, emails, conversations begin to take on the appearance of a theme. If you've been around here long, you know I'm a big fan of themes! But the theme taking shape in my mind lately isn't a fun one. In fact, I'd rather ignore it—but I know better. In my experience, when a theme begins to overlay my everyday, I know I need to pay attention. God tends to speak to me in themes. In other words, he meets me right where I am and speaks through things I can understand. Guess what? He'll do the same for you! So I'm paying attention . . . Committing to a "word of the year" will keep me focused—and accountable. I told you it's not a fun ... Keep Reading...
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YEAR-ROUND CHRISTMAS: Long-awaited Advent Wreath Chandelier
For years I've wanted to share this post with you. Literally . . . years. When we bought our first old house to restore in 2005, we discovered a huge brass Advent wreath left behind amidst (a few) treasures and (a lot of) trash. I loved it, but it was far too large to be used for its intended purpose in a typical home. Through observation and research, I learned the special piece was made in Israel in the late 1960s by the Terra Sancta Guild, likely for a church or chapel. It was intended to be suspended and would have hung from an ornate chain. Over the years, I contacted a few churches in our community in attempts to donate it, but I always met with a dead end. The congregations already had their own ... Keep Reading...
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Autumn birthday flowers inspire tablescape
Last week, while enjoying my birthday on our newly-renovated front porch, I was surprised to receive a beautiful Autumn flower arrangement. If you've spent time here at My Place for awhile, you know I love adding pops of non-traditional color to the "usual" Fall colors, so this gift from a dear friend was a visual treat! There was no way I could pass up doing a quick tablescape, no matter how crazy-busy life is around here right now. Enjoy! I have lots of Autumn-themed dishes, but sometimes it's fun to combine non-traditional dishes with touches of traditional (like these napkins, napkin rings and leaf-embellished charger). If you like the ... Keep Reading...
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Whatever it takes…. Keep your heart close to the hurting
Part of the world’s healing is doing whatever it takes to get your heart to stay close to the hurting. ~ Ann Voskamp But aren't we all hurting right now—just a little bit . . . or a lot? Is it really possible in the midst of our own "stuff" to dig deeper into ourselves and intentionally move closer to someone else who's hurting? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes it's true: we simply have not one iota more of ourselves to give, and that's okay. But sometimes, in choosing to shift our focus from our own pain, disappointments, and discouragements to the people around us—and the hurts they're facing—we find that we experience healing, too. When I change the perspective from MY reality to YOUR ... Keep Reading...
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Making the RIGHT choices in an old house renovation {or in Life}
When my Renaissance Man and I began our latest old house renovation, we made a promise to each other: No matter what, we will do things right. RIGHT. It's an interesting word. In the example of our century-old home, it doesn't translate to "purist" restoration choices. It doesn't presume a specific timeline or project order. It doesn't even imply high end/top dollar spending. For us, it means we won't take shortcuts. On those days when we're tired and "over" a project and ready to find the end, we won't risk doing sloppy work by hurrying. We'll step back, if necessary, and start another day. Trust me, it'll still be there waiting . . . ... Keep Reading...
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GUEST BATHROOM RENOVATION: Preparing for the day when house guests return!
When painting the bathroom ceiling is exciting, you know you need a pick-me-up. That's what I realized yesterday when we primed the ceiling in the renovation-in-progress guest bathroom. I need a pick-me-up! Do you need one as much as I do? During these stay-at-home days, we've juggled projects and made good progress on our old house, but I've really missed seeing family and friends. These days . . . and weeks . . . and months of limited physical contact are getting old. Next week we'll miss celebrating Little Man's birthday in person for the first time in his 11 years. And in April we missed Little Sir's for the first time in his 8 years. I know some of you grandparents live too far away to see your grandones even once a year, ... Keep Reading...
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SO MANY PROJECTS! {Hoping there’s method to the madness!}
Ten years ago today I hit "publish" on my first blog post. Where has the time gone? Blogland has been through a lot of changes since that day a decade ago. So have I. You, too? And yet we still meet here to share Life; its joys and frustrations, proud moments and heartbreaks, celebrations and peaceful quiet. If you've been along for the ride since the beginning, I'd love to know! I'm not a juggler, but it seems (even during these stay-at-home days) all I'm doing is juggling projects. For various reasons, we've started a lot of projects, but few are actually finished. There's really a lot happening around here! So much, in fact, that I can't seem to slow down enough to wrap my head around ... Keep Reading...
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REDEEMING HISTORY: Transformation of a neglected dresser
Every morning, this room catches my eye, and I smile. Maybe because it's the most "finished" room in our ongoing old house renovation! I'm especially happy these days because a years-old project is now complete. Well, mostly . . . Back in January 2017, right after Renaissance Man and I began our big adventure with plans to build our Finally Farmhouse, we purchased century-old, five-panel doors out of this 1898 farmhouse in Concord/Cabarrus County, NC that was slated for demolition. As I walked through the house, I noticed an old, neglected dresser with the prettiest chippy blue paint. It was missing the two bottom drawers, and the hardware was long gone; a nail in each ... Keep Reading...
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Image is Everything
My heart breaks—and my stomach lurches—over the hatred so graphically portrayed in the news. Yours, too? Why can’t we all get along? I’ve read articles and blog posts. I’ve watched news coverage. I’ve seen the finger-pointing. But friends, our problems aren’t caused by skin color, religious beliefs, or who’s president. Why can’t we all get along? The answer is right in front of us—and has been for generations; centuries. At the bottom of all the divisiveness, arrogance, bigotry, racism, name-calling, and hatred is a reality that has affected every generation of mankind since the very beginning. ... Keep Reading...
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PARTING WAYS: Goodbye Letter to Wild Rose Farm
My dearest Wild Rose Farm, I don't want to write this goodbye letter—and yet, I do. I must. You have poured so much of yourself into my life that I cannot walk away without pouring my love, gratitude, and treasured memories back into you. You may remember the day we first met. It was November 10, 2011. You were calm, and rustic—and it was love at first sight. 24-hours later, you were on the way to being ours . . . and we've never looked back! For the first several of our years together, you were my place of respite. The one place I could go to return calm to my otherwise overwhelmed and struggling mind and spirit. My everyday world at home was full ... Keep Reading...
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Tablescape Inspired by Anniversary Roses
The first blog post I ever put out in cyberspace was a tablescape, and it was over-the-top "dressy" with lots of *sparkle*. Back in those early days of blogging, tablescapes were an almost-weekly event around here—but that hasn't been the case lately. In fact, I just haven't been very inspired. Until . . . Renaissance Man surprised me with yellow roses for our 30th anniversary. While they still have some "pretty" in them, I'm ready to tablescape—even if it's quick and casual, so ignore the wrinkles! With their festive yellow and white bow, the roses are just the perfect pairing for a vintage tablecloth I've been wanting to share with you. This hand-painted cloth was a ... Keep Reading...
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ASK ME AGAIN! Happy 30th Anniversary to my Renaissance Man
I wasn't looking for love when we met. I was too busy being a single mom to two little girls—and preparing to go back to college. But somehow I fell for the introvert-leaning, storytelling, Ph.D. candidate (and interim chaplain) at Baylor University. And the rest, as they say, is history. On May 26, 1990, I married my Renaissance Man in a beautiful old house on the Baylor University campus in Waco, Texas. I’ve had old house love for a really long time! A few months prior, he gave a gorgeous diamond ring to me—and sweet little birthstone rings to my daughters—and invited us to join our lives with his. He promised to love, protect, and stand alongside us to the best of his ability . . . ... Keep Reading...
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Do you believe God wants to bless you? {Seeing God’s hand in the everyday}
There's only one place in the entire world where I've always felt a lack of distraction; not sometimes, always. Yes, in the world in which we live, I realize that's a gift! The place is Wild Rose Farm: ten beautiful acres just outside of town where we thought we'd build the Finally Farmhouse that wasn't. After almost 8 1/2 years as its caretakers, we're preparing to sell. It was a heartbreaking decision, but it's the right one for us, and so Saturday's experience was especially sweet. The backstory . . . Two years ago in mid-May, while living in the 300-square-foot fifth wheel onsite preparing to build, my Renaissance Man was dealing with some significant health- and work-related challenges, and the ... Keep Reading...
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PORCH WORK AND PLANTINGS: Another #stayathome project update
Here's the question I asked myself today: Should I keep my promise to you during a global pandemic? I promised to share our old house renovation with you wonderful readers, and so I will—even when I'm very much aware some of you are dealing with the "real" of this pandemic; it's not a mere inconvenience to you. If that's where you are, know that even as I'm working to bring this old house back to life, I'm praying for you. I'm asking God to meet you right there in the middle of your pain, your uncertainty, your grief and help you find a path through today's reality. I wish I could ask for a path around it (or make it go away altogether), but Life isn't like that, is it? Perhaps this post will be ... Keep Reading...
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THINKING AHEAD: What will coming together look like when #stayathome ends?
I don't know about you, but I'm a little nervous about what life is going to be like when these stay-at-home days finally end. I'll admit up front that this post is a very First World, American post. I'm not 100% comfortable with that, but it's where I live and who I am, so today I'm going with it. As I said my last time here with you, I do feel like we're being given another chance; a chance to make some intentional course corrections; a chance to incorporate into our future the lessons we're (hopefully) learning while staying home during these days of COVID-19. More appreciation for family time Healthier meals More organized—or less rigid—schedules, depending on which lesson we needed to learn. ... Keep Reading...
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Another chance to . . .
What if all of the changes we've experienced over the past several weeks are really a chance for our future to be different? Not a do-over, exactly, but a reset. An eye-opener. A let's be honest about what's working—and what's not—in our families, our communities . . . our countries, our world. What's working in me—and what's not? In time, hopefully sooner rather than later, we'll all find a new routine. I have no idea what that will look like. But I hope and pray that all of the loss, heartache, sacrifice, and humility we're seeing during these unprecedented days will not be for naught. I hope these days of feeling like every day brings another change will be seen as another chance to make some ... Keep Reading...
